New Nick Carter Weekly, No. 40 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

not be evidence that he had set the place on fire. To discover the treasure hunter at work was, therefore, only the first step in Dan’s investigation. Accordingly Dan thought over the plan of the house, trying to find some way in which he could look into that room with- out attracting attention. His work as a reporter had made him very familiar with the place, and he was not long in recalling that there was a door between the room where the man was at work and another room opening on the hall; above this door was a tran- som. | As the room in front was entitaly dark, it look over this transom into the backroom without being observed, provided he could _ find something in the front room to stand on. . There was also a chance that the door between the two rooms might be open, in which case he could look through with- out having to bother about the transom. “Phe first thing anyway,’’ thought _ Dan, ‘‘is to get into the front room.” With this plan in mind he cautiously mounted the rest of the stairs and pres- ently stood on the second landing. He was still taking all the pains he c uld to keep from making any noise, but just as he was about to turn down the Nas hall toward the front of the house, he % ‘was 5 startled, by a loud creaking. 2 (e supposed that he oe meres upon seemec all the more likely \ when ae of _ beneath the door - disap- ae » ared d snddenly, and the low ee. of vould be possible for the detective to Then he decided that it would be safer to proceed further along the hall and slip into some other doorway, if possible. Accordingly he stepped forward and found, to his relief, that his feet made no noise whatever. He had taken a few stealthy paces thus when he paused and looked back at the door where he had seen the line of light. He was somewhat surprised to see that the light was there as before, and at the same time he heard sounds that showed that the mysterious work had been re- sumed, As he was satisfied that the worker had got over his alarm, Dan went still further ‘along the hall and was just turning into when he heard another the front room loud creak. This time it was more than the squeak- ing of a loose plank. It seemed as if boards were being ripped apart, and he knew, too, that the sounds didn’t come from beneath his feet. _ There was no question this time that the sound came from the room where the man was at work. Dan concluded that the first creaking sound had come from there also. The man evidently had been startled by the noise he made himself, and had put out the light and listened in fear that somebody might be watelrags in the house who would hear the noise and come up to see what was going on. ‘‘He seems to think everything is all right,’ thought Dan, “‘for he is keeping at the work now without minding oe noise he makes.’ A glance into the front room showed Dan that the door between it and the back room was closed. bee i The light from the worker’s lantern fe showed clear upon the transom, howeve and it seemed, at first, as if it would be ae + kNe* sce ate mg je. be Fate somet! » a — sel j i= e. i ‘ | P= ’ ' : a -_ “sa | - a b | f 1 . i ! A ’ * _ 3 — J —_ 3 -